The ancient history of the name Wiltemyn dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name given to a wild man. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

Early Origins of the Wiltemyn family

The surname Wiltemyn was first found in Berkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times and were Lords of the manor of Beaucot, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Some of the first records of the name include John Wildeman who was listed on the Close Rolls during the reign of King Richard II, which lasted from 1377 to 1399 and the YorkshirePoll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Willelmus Wyldman.

Early History of the Wiltemyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiltemyn research.Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1621 and 1693 are included under the topic Early Wiltemyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiltemyn Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Wiltemyn include Wildman, Wyldman, Wileman and others.

Early Notables of the Wiltemyn family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Wiltemyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wiltemyn family to the New World and Oceana

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Wiltemyn or a variant listed above: John Wildman settled in New England in 1767; Richard Wildman settled in Maryland in 1775.

The Wiltemyn Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.